Negotiating Love
by foxyfeline
Summary: Sam and Jack try to talk about their feelings but keep getting interrupted COMPLETE
1. Default Chapter

Title: Negotiating Love

Author: Cabouse18

Email: cabouse18@yahoo.com

Spoilers: None really but Janet is dead

Season/Sequel: Seven; sequel to "In too Deep"

Rating: PG-13

Content: Romance/Drama/Angst

Disclaimer: I still don't own them. So don't sue me

Author's Note: Thanks to everyone who reviewed the first story. Hope you all like this one too. Be sure to give feedback, please!

Summary: Sam and Jack try to talk about their feelings but keep getting interrupted.

**Part 1**

It was another two weeks before Sam was able to leave the infirmary and go home. A week after that her father had finally managed to visit and heal the rest of her wounds. Unfortunately he had to leave shortly there after to return to the Tok'ra, but that was to be expected. Growing up she had seen so little of him that him being unable to stay with her now didn't surprise her in the least. The Tok'ra/Tauri relations were on the rocks and if he could save them, then that was where he needed to be. At least, she had resigned herself to that notion.

In the past she would have needed his comfort to help her get through something of this magnitude. But now she had SG-1 and one member in particular had seen her through the rough spots. While they had confessed their love for one another that was as far as it went. In fact, they hadn't talked about it at all. However, his actions the last two weeks spoke volumes to her. He had been the one to soothe her when she was plagued by nightmares, he had been there to listen when she needed to talk about them afterwards, hell he even took her home the day she was released and literally tucked her in. Yes, they may not have spoken about it but they definitely weren't ignoring it.

"Stupid" she muttered to herself as she attempted to catch up missed paperwork

"What's stupid?" he asked walking into the room

"Sir, you startled me"

"Yes I noticed that" he replied picking up an odd looking object that managed to catch his eye. 

"Please don't play with that, sir" He put the object down and shoved his hands in his pockets. He often did that after she told him not to play with anything in her lab. It was his way of 'saying sorry' and that he wouldn't touch anything else. "Was there something you wanted sir?"

"No, just came to see what you were doing?"

"Daniel threw you out didn't he?"

"No, actually it was Teal'c this time. Said I needed something constructive to do"

"So you thought you would come and bother me, sir?" 

It was a well known fact that if the team was on working stand down Jack was the first to be bored and bother everyone else. Usually she or Daniel got the royal treatment but for some reason today it was Teal'c. 

"You say it like I have a disease, Carter"  

"Sir, I know you're bored" 

"I'm not"

"Don't you have paper work?"

"Yes, but it's boring"

She just looked at him. He always came to her lab when he was bored or needed to copy one of her mission reports but in the last two weeks he seemed to be bothering everyone else first and then showing up. It was almost as if he needed to do it so he had an excuse to come see her.

"Sir, you only have two more days until SG-1 is put back into rotation"

"I'm just not allowed to come and see you?"

He'd said it so low she'd barely heard it. 

"Then why do you come here last?"

"What?"

"It just seems like the last few weeks you bother everyone else and then come here as if you need an excuse to visit"

He had realized what he was doing a few days after it started, going to see everyone else and pissing them off just so he would have the opportunity to visit her without raising suspicion. The funny thing was he was probably raising more suspicions by not going to her lab like he used to.

"I'm sorry"

"You don't need to be sorry"

He was about to say something when Daniel came in 

"Sam I was wondering if you wanted to go get lunch…oh hey Jack"

"Daniel"

Looking from Jack to Sam he suddenly got the feeling he'd interrupted something

"Is this a bad time?"

"No" they replied at the same time

He wasn't totally convinced, especially since they answered at the exact same time and so quickly. But he decided to ignore it "So, uh lunch?"

"Sure sir?"

"Why not"

He followed them out of the her lab feeling a little better that she wasn't mad at him while at the same time a little foolish for handling it the way he did.

To be continued…..


	2. chapter 2

**Part 2**

~~~

Lunch went uneventful as the team chatted about everything from the Simpsons to how much paperwork they all had. Never once did they discuss the technology Sam had uncovered while in Brazil nor did they talk about her recovery time. After lunch they went their separate ways, Sam and Jack back to her lab while Daniel and Teal'c went to work on a translation of something SG-16 had brought back.

"So Carter, think we can talk now?"

"Sir I'm not so sure this best place. I'll be home later tonight if you want to stop by" 

The words came out of her mouth before she even realized she what she was saying. By the look on his face, he was as surprised as she was.

"Sure, I'll see ya then" he replied before sauntering out the door, seemingly with an extra bounce in his step. He was just about to press the call button on the elevator when the klaxons starting going off. Knowing that no teams were due back he jammed his finger down on the call button and waited for the elevator car to arrive

"Sir"

Sam called as she jogged down the hall towards him.

"No one is due back"

The elevator dinged, signaling its arrival and the two got on. Pressing the button for the level the gate was on, Jack that the sinking suspicion their little talk was going to have to wait.

 The gate room was mass chaos. SG-8 had come under attack by natives while on a scouting mission to P3X-771. Two of the five man team had returned with minor injuries but the other three were still on the planet. Jack approached Hammond  who was talking with Sergeant Connor 

"Connor what the hell happened?"

"Colonel Mowery ordered me and Sergeant Collins to get mineral samples while he and the others scouted the area. We were only there a couple of hours when the Colonel ordered us to get back to the gate"

The young man was obviously in a great deal of pain but refused pain medication until he was able to tell the whole story.

 "Easy son, what happened next?" asked Hammond

"They came out of nowhere sirs. Collins and I were only a few meters from the gate when they attacked. We managed to overpower them and dial the gate." His words began to get disjointed as his head injury became too much for him "I radioed the Colonel but he told us to go through and get help"

"What kind of weapons were they using?" he asked noting the small burn marks on the young man's uniform

"They were like staff weapons, only smaller and not as deadly" he replied as he began to slip into unconsciousness

"Get him to the infirmary" ordered the general

"General permission to go through the gate and get our boys back?"

"Granted, take SG-6 with you."

"Yes sir" he replied before running out of the gate room to get geared up. As he hurried towards the team's kit room he spared a few glances at Sam. He was a little weary of this being her first mission back in the field but he wouldn't be able to make her stay since she was healthy enough to go.

"Carter maybe you should sit this one out"

"I'm fine sir" She knew he was only trying to make sure she was emotionally ready to go out into the field but at the same time she felt like he was being a little over protective. However, now was neither the time nor the place to discuss such matters.  

Less than twenty minutes later both teams were in the gate room and ready to ship out. 

"SG-1 and 6 you have a go"

The two teams headed through gate ready for any attackers that might be waiting for them when they reached the other side. 

~~~

Once on the other side Jack ordered SG-6 to secure the area while he and the rest of SG-1 headed in the direction Connor said he last saw the rest of his team go. With Teal'c at point the team walked for about an hour before coming upon an open area where an obvious struggle had taken place.

Walking further into the area the team came upon the body of Major Light. He appeared to have been shot to death by whatever weapons these people carried. Jack radioed SG-6 and informed them they had found one member of SG-8 dead and to be on guard for any hostiles. 

Noticing that one batch of footprints indicated one member had gotten away while the other batch showed another being dragged away, Jack decided the best course of action would be for them to split up. Daniel and Teal'c headed in the direction of the chase while he and Sam followed the other prints.

To be continued….


	3. chapter 3

**Part 3**

~~~

The tracks Sam and Jack were following indicated a member of SG-8 had more than likely been over powered by the natives and dragged off to wherever their home was. Jack had almost sent Sam with Teal'c but decided that he would worry more if she wasn't with him. Halting for a moment he took notice that the number of tracks seemed to increase from three to five. 

"It looks whoever was dragging the member SG-8 met up with some of their friends"

"Yeah" he replied before grabbing his radio "Teal'c come in"

"Here O'Neill"

"What's you status?"

"Daniel Jackson and I have been following the tracks yet have found nothing as of yet"

"Carter and I found a spot where they may have met up with some of their buddies before moving on so be on the look out extra hostiles"

"Affirmative O'Neill" Teal'c replied over the radio

"Sir, I'm sure how much daylight we have left. We should probably try and get as far as we can before the sun goes down"

"Alright we'll continue on for as long as we can before making camp"

"Yes sir"

They walked for another hour before it became evident that the sun on the planet set much faster than the sun earth. Using the remaining sun they found a secure area and began to set up camp for the night when a rustling in the bushes caught Sam's attention. 

Signaling to Jack she raised her gun and they both slowly moved towards the noise when suddenly Jack was struck in the side by an energy blast and fell to the ground unconscious

"Sir" Sam yelled but as she tried to make her way over to her fallen CO she too was struck by an energy blast and fell to the ground in an unconscious heap. Their attackers made their over to the fallen officers carefully examining them.

"They are dressed like the others"

"This one is a woman" the other replied as he removed Sam's cap to reveal her face

"They must have come in search of the others. Quickly restrain them before they wake"

After restraining them the three men dragged the two unconscious officers off into the dark night.  

~~~

The first Jack thing was aware of, other than the immense pounding in his head, was that all his gear was gone. Rolling over onto his side he slowly opened his eyes trying to get a better sense of his surroundings. Unfortunately the only thing he got a huge pain in his side where the energy blast had hit him.

"Carter" he called out sitting up and fighting against the wave of nausea that hit him when he did. Letting his eyes adjust to light he saw her unconscious form lying on the floor in the corner of the room. Fighting against the pain in his side and the rolling of his stomach he crawled over to her. "Carter" he whispered stroking her cheek as he did so many times when he wanted to rouse her from one of her nightmares

"Jack" she whispered attempting to sit up. Just then a wave of nausea hit her and she quickly fell back to the floor

"Take it easy. Whatever they hit us with wreaks havoc on your stomach but it will pass"

"Where are we?" she asked trying to get her eyes to focus in on their surroundings

"Don't know"

Then the door to their cell opened revealing three guards who were followed by one of the men who had attacked them in forest.

"You're friend was very unforthcoming with the information we desired"

"Where is he and who are you?" Jack asked

"He is dead. You may call me Ziffel, now she will come with me" the man said pointing to Sam

"No you'll take me"

The man nodded to one of the guards to take Sam. The man roughly grabbed her by the arm and lifted her off the floor. Jack attempted to push the man away but he was quickly overpowered by the other two guards who dragged him to other side of the room

"Leave her alone" he screamed as they dragged Sam out of the room. The guards then threw him to floor and exited the cell. Kicking the door in frustration he yelled and threatened them to bring her back and take him instead but no one came back.

~~~

Sam struggled as the men dragged her along the corridor but she was still too weak from the after effects of the energy weapon to break free of their hold. 

"Stop struggling woman"

One of the guards yelled as he threw her into another room. Landing roughly on the floor Sam quickly stood up and prepared to take the guards head on when she noticed the body of Colonel Mowery on the floor. Her own fear momentarily forgotten she rushed over to the man and felt for a pulse. Discouraged when she found none she turned and waited for Ziffel to enter the room, her head held high

Looking to the dead man on the floor and then to her, Ziffle spoke with no remorse in voice "I told he wasn't very forthcoming"

"What do you want?"

Walking up to her, he slapped her hard across the face "I ask the questions" he yelled in her face "Now, why are you here?"

"We're explorers. We use the stargate to go to different worlds to seek out allies against the Goa'uld"

"He said the same thing" he replied pointing to Mowery's body "and I did not believe him either. Now tell me the truth"

At the sound of his choice of words Sam was thrust back to Brazil and the torture she had endured there. "No" she whispered. She wasn't whispering in response to Ziffel's question she was fighting against the images and feelings of her previous torture. The feel of the whip across her back, the electrical shocks and the sound of her own screams all came flooding back to her in technicolor at that one moment

Ziffel then violently punched her in her stomach. Falling to floor Sam tried hard not to cry out from the pain his punch had caused "Tell me!"

"NO!" she screamed back

"Take her back and bring me the other one"

Once again Sam roughly dragged back to her and Jack's cell

~~~

Jack paced the small cell over and over trying hard not to flip out and lose it at the thought of what those men were doing to Sam. She had just managed to get over some of the nightmares she'd been suffering from only to have this happen. He stopped pacing when he heard the latch on the door before it opened and Sam was violently thrown in.

"Carter" he rushed over to check her for injuries 

"No, please" was all she whispered before the guards grabbed him and pulled out of the cell. Sam crawled into the corner of the room, pulling herself into the fetal position and rocked back and forth repeating the same thing over and over to the empty cell.

To be continued….


	4. chapter 4

**Part 4**

**~~~**

The guards hit Jack over and over while Ziffel yelled at him to tell him the truth about why they were there. Jack just kept telling him to go to hell. He had endured far worse torture than the beating the two goons were giving him. He would just hope they would finish so he could get back to Sam. He didn't like the way she looked before they dragged him away. It wasn't that she looked physically hurt it was what she said to him before they pulled him away from her.

"You are indeed a strong man"

"Bite me" that last remark earned him a punch from Ziffel himself

"Take him back to the cell"

When Jack got back to the cell he was relieved when the guards didn't take Sam again. She was still curled up in the corner with her head resting on her bent up knees. Being sure not to spook her he cautiously laid a hand on her arm 

"Sam" he called to her softly

"Jack" her reply was a large sob

"C'mere" he pulled her into a strong hug and rocked them back and forth while she silently sobbed into his chest

"I'm sorry. I just…." She apologized lifting her head from his chest to look at him. Softly tracing the bruises that had begun to form on his cheek

"We're gonna get out of this" he replied placing both hands on either side of her head to make sure she couldn't look away

"Yes sir"

"What happened to Jack?" he asked as he leaned in to give her a kiss

 "Jack we can't" she stated, turning her head to the side 

"Is that what you wanted to talk about when you invited me over?" The disappointment was evident in his voice. "Because if that's what it was you could've just told me when…"

"No I…"

She was interrupted by the sound of the door being unlocked. Readying themselves they waited for the guards to come in but they never did. Instead Daniel and Teal'c entered the room. 

 As they headed towards the large city that lay beyond the vast forest, Daniel explained that the tracks he and Teal'c had followed weren't those of Lieutenant Powell being chased but those of another group of people who were in fact trying to help the remaining members of SG-8. Once it was discovered they had been captured, the Trifanni, the people who helped Powell, agreed to help Daniel and Teal'c rescue them. It seemed the Trifanni often used the stargate to trade with other planets and were interested in forming relations with Earth.  Apparently the group who had captured them were rebels who let it be known that they thought trading with other planets was wrong. They thought SG-8 had come to trade so they attacked in order to keep them for doing so

Upon arriving at the city Jack and Sam were introduced to Chancellor Nolanti, the head of the Trifanni government. He heartily greeted them and expressed his hopes that their two governments could be friends. Jack became slightly unnerved when the man held onto Sam's hand a little longer than he thought necessary. 

"Come, we will discuss the possibility of trade between our two worlds over dinner" 

"Not that we aren't eager to form an alliance or eat, its just we need to let our boss know what is going on"

"General Hammond already knows"

"Excuse me?" Jack asked

"When we lost contact with you we contacted Hammond and told him what was going on"

"Oh, ok"

"It is settled then" Nolanti replied leading them to the dining hall

Jack was sure to sit as close as possible to Sam during dinner. He didn't like the way Nolanti stared at Sam or how he some how always found a reason to touch her hand or arm. Ok, so he was jealous. Who wouldn't be though? Nolanti was a fairly handsome man, who obviously had a lot of power among his people. He knew Sam wasn't attracted to the power aspect but the man was younger and seemed to be quite the charmer.

As if sensing his trepidation about Nolanti Sam edged closer to Jack being sure to let their thighs touch. 

 "Samantha" 

Jack's stomach rolled at the sound of the man's voice. Why, on every planet, did men feel the need to call Sam, Samantha? It wasn't so much that they said it but they way in which they said it. Most of the men they met seemed to say it with admiration but Nolanti said it like someone who was talking about a good steak. It made him ill. He was brought back to reality by Sam's calls

 "Sir, sir"

"Hmm…what?"

"Chancellor Nolanti has offered to show us the power plant where the power source for their weapons is produced"

"Sweet"

"There is no need for Colonel O'Neill to accompany us. I am sure he would much rather prefer to discuss the trade agreement with my cabinet. Also his wounds require rest"

Ok now Jack definitely wanted to go. His wounds, as the man put it, were not that bad. He had gotten worse during training exercises. This guy was so obviously trying to get rid of him so he could be alone with Sam. That was exactly why he was about to tell him that he was going with but Sam seemed to beat him to it

 "The diplomacy is Daniel's department" stated Sam

"Yes and weapons are mine" he replied rather smugly. Silently thanking Sam for not only saving him from the boring discussions that were going on but also for picking up on the fact that the man didn't want him around

"Very well"

It was obvious the man was disappointed but Jack didn't care. He could tell Sam wanted him along by the thankful look she gave him as they rose to leave

"Teal'c make sure he doesn't get into trouble will ya?" he said pointing to Daniel, who was in a deep discussion with one of Nolanti's cabinet members

"Indeed I will O'Neill"

Jack and Sam then followed Nolanti and two of his body guards out of the dining hall. 

To be continued…


	5. chapter 5

**Part 5**

~~~

During the entire tour of the plant Nolanti ignored most of Jack's attempts to make small talk. Instead he merely continued to talk to Sam, only laughing or engaging him in conversation if Sam seemed interested in what he said. Deciding that he really didn't like the man, Jack remained relatively silent during the letter half of the tour. Once the tour was over they returned to the dining hall where Daniel was still talking to same cabinet member, oblivious to the fact that they had even left and returned. 

"Has he come up for air at all Teal'c?" Jack asked as he approached the stoic Jaffa

"Indeed he has not O'Neill"

"Sir, Nolanti has offered to let us stay in some diplomatic quarters for the night" Sam said as she approached the three men

Jack was about to reply when Daniel, who had finally pulled himself away from the man he had been speaking to, interrupted him "Jack their culture is quite fascinating I…."

"Easy Daniel, remember to breathe"

"Right, as I was saying their culture is amazing. They seem to have been brought here by the Goa'uld but they have no real ties to earth"

"How so?" asked Sam

"Well as you know most cultures we have come across have had some type of connection in their culture to earth's history, they don't"

"Maybe they didn't come from earth"

"Well I thought that too but there are little things, such as the fact that they speak perfect English and…."

"Daniel, it's late. You'll have plenty of time tomorrow to tell me all about it"

"OK"

"Good. Now Carter" he said turning towards her "where are these sleeping quarters?"

She merely smiled at him. She knew he was tired when he wouldn't even pretend to be interested in what Daniel had to say about a new culture. "This way, sir"

They were shown to their rooms by one of Nolanti's aides. Thankful for the break from the man, Sam let out a deep breath. She quickly became aware the man wanted to get her alone when he offered to 'personally' show her the power plant. While this was not the first time a man on another planet had shown an interest in her, it was the first time she was wear  of it. She wasn't sure why but she had a feeling it had to with the fact that the last time she was alone with a strange man, she was nearly tortured to death. 

"You ok?"

The warmth of Jack's breath on her neck startled her. "Yeah, just thinking"

"Nothing new there" he joked

"These are your rooms" The aide said pointing to Teal'c and Jack and then to the aforementioned doors before moving down the hall. She stopped when she reached the intersection of the next hallway

Not really liking the fact that they were being separated even if it was only by a hallway, Jack turned to Daniel "Daniel you take this room" he said pointing to one of the closed doors

"Ok" Daniel figured Jack had a good reason to want him to take the room so he didn't argue

"Sleep tight"  he said to them as he and Sam followed the aide around the corner

"And these are your rooms" she pointing to the adjacent doors "If there will nothing else"

"We're fine thanks" The aide merely bowed her head before leaving them alone.

"Well goodnight sir" Sam said before opening her door and walking into her room

"Good night, Major" he replied before doing to same

The rooms were quite lavish. It was quite obvious that the Triffani were well prepared for diplomatic guests. The room was adorned with several pictures of the city and surrounding landscape, a desk in the corner and a large bed in the middle. Sam was pleasantly surprised to find that she had own bathroom equipped with a shower and large tub.

Placing her pack, this had been returned along with their weapons, on the bed she started to change when she heard a knock at the door. Curious as to who it could be, she redressed and answered. She was relieved when it was the Colonel and not Chancellor Nolanti

"Sir"

"Can I come in?" She moved aside to allow him entrance into the room.

"Is there something wrong, sir?"

"Just wanted to see if you were ok"

She knew immediately what he meant. He wanted to know if she was getting the same vibes from Nolanti that he was getting "I'm fine"

"I know he just makes me feel uneasy that's all"

"Join the club"

"Look about what happened in the cell"

"I really wanted you to come over but not for the reason you were thinking"

"Actually I was talking about the flashback you had"

"Oh that" She suddenly found the floor very interesting

"Not that I don't want to talk about the other thing, I just wanted to make sure you were ok"

"Thank you"

"No problem" He had his hand on the door knob when he heard her soft voice

"Stay"

To be continued….


	6. chapter 6

**Part 6**

**~~~**

Waking up from one of the best night's sleep he'd had in a long time, Jack looked down at the mess of blonde hair on his chest and reminisced about what had brought him to this point. After asking him to stay they both took off their boots and crawled under the covers.

They talked softly about what happened in the cell both on the planet and in Brazil. Sam told him how the nightmares still bothered her and that she didn't totally feel comfortable being alone with any man other than him and the guys. She said there were times when she thought she would never see them or him again.

He told her what it was like for him in Iraq. The beatings, the starvation, the desperation at not knowing what was going to happen next or of he would ever go home. He explained how the nightmares plagued him for years and that he would have the occasional flashback after a hard mission through the gate. 

While they had talked about their different experiences with torture they never once broached the subject of them. While she had told that he was wrong about why she invited him over, part of him still felt otherwise. Maybe it was that he was insecure when it came to her or maybe it was because he didn't want to get his hopes up. Feeling Sam stir, he shifted his head on the pillow and looked down and the beauty in his arms 

"Hey" she said lifting her head off his chest

"Hey, how'd you sleep?"

"Great. Thanks"

"Anytime" he replied pulling her close

"As nice as this is, I think we should get up before Daniel and Teal'c come looking for us"

"Yeah"

~~~

After getting dressed and eating breakfast the team, along with Nolanti went to the gate and reported in to Hammond. He informed them that a diplomatic team was standing by and awaiting their return in order to be briefed on the situation. 

Jack was thankful. He wanted Sam off the planet and as far away from Nolanti as possible. While he trusted Sam, he definitely didn't trust Nolanti when it came to Sam. Especially when they told him they would be leaving and a diplomatic team would return in their place. 

"Samantha I am sure we will see each other again" 

Jack could see the apprehension in Sam's face so he answered for her "Yes we will. Daniel dial us up"

After the gate engaged they headed up the steps and walked through the open wormhole.

Once medically cleared, showered and changed, the team briefed General Hammond and the diplomatic that was set to negotiate with the Triffani.

 "The Triffani have a similar culture to our own in the ways of government and social development. Their leader, Chancellor Nolanti is sort of like our president."

Jack pretty much zoned out after that. His mind was back in that bed where he had woken up with Sam in his arms. It was something he wanted to do every morning, be curled up under the covers with Sam. He was convinced, now more than ever, that they needed to have their little talk.

"Colonel what's your assessment?"

Jack remained silent

"Colonel"

"I'm sorry sir?"

"I asked what your assessment was"

"They seem like nice folks who are willing to share their technology. Other than the whole getting kidnapped by the rebels they seem like nice folks" He hoped no one noticed he had repeated himself with the 'nice folks' bit

"Very well, the diplomatic team will disembark at 0800 hrs tomorrow with SG-9 as escort. Sg-1 you are on stand down for the next 48 hrs, dismissed" 

Sam immediately retreated to the sanctity of her lab using the excuse she was still behind in her paperwork. That was where he found her several hours later, hunched over her laptop merely staring at the crystallized screen.

"You need to use the keyboard in order for the words to appear"

"Sir, you startled me"

"Yeah, listen you want to grab some dinner?" He knew he was throwing himself out there but he it was time he took the plunge. He just hoped she would take it with him

"Sure, Chinese?" She hoped to god that he meant dinner away from the base because if he didn't she was going to find the floor under her desk very interesting

"Yeah you order and I'll pick up on the way to your place" He figured if they were going to talk he might as well let it be on her home turf. He knew there were very little things she had control over lately and he wanted to make sure she had total control over the situation. That and he didn't want to seem he was being too presumptuous.

"1900 hrs good?"

Looking at his watch he noted that it was 1630, which left him more than enough time to go home shower, change and pick up the food.  "Yeah sure"

"See ya then"

"Yeahsureyoubetcha" he said before strutting out the door

~~~

Sam had cleaned and re cleaned her house so many times that the sparkles had sparkles. Looking at the clock she became even more nervous when she realized he would arrive any minute. As if hearing her thoughts the door bell rang. Opening it she let him in and followed him into the kitchen.

They ate dinner, occasionally chatting about mundane things. There were times when they sat in silence, yet it was a comfortable silence. When he was married to Sara, silence usually meant she mad at him or he had forgotten something. Either way there was no such thing as a comfortable silence in their marriage. Yet, with Sam he could sit or work with her for long stretches of time without having to say a word. It was something he enjoyed most about being around her, the fact that they didn't always need words to do something. 

"Do you want to start or should I?"

"Ladies first"

She chuckled "Jack…" Suddenly the there was a knock at the door. Confused as to who could be knocking at her door, Sam rose from the couch to answer it. 

"Probably Daniel and his impeccable timing" he muttered 

Grabbing the door knob, turning it and opening the door she shucked in a breath when she saw who was standing on her porch "Pete"

To be continued….


	7. chapter 7

**Part 7**

**~~~**

 "Pete"****

As soon as he heard her say his name his heart fell into his shoes. He was the last person he wanted to see at this moment. They were finally going to talk about their feelings and then the good detective decides to show up.

"What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to surprise you. Surprised?"

"You have no idea" she muttered under her breath

"Are you going to invite me in?"

"Pete, as nice as this is you should have called"

"Colonel" Pete greeted the man as he came up behind Sam in the doorway

"Pete, I'll see you at work Carter" he said moving to leave when she stopped him

"Wait, sir" 

"Thanks for dinner" he said never looking back before getting into his truck and pulling out of her driveway.

Slamming his hand repeatedly on the steering wheel, Jack cursed at his stupidity. How could he just walk out? It wasn't her fault he just showed up and she obviously wanted him to stay. What the hell had he been thinking? He was still cursing when he pulled into his driveway.

Slamming the cab door and practically kicking open his front door Jack cursed again when he knocked a picture off the wall. Closing the door he leaned down and cleaned up the broken frame, depositing the glass in the trash can in the kitchen. Sighing heavily he stared out his kitchen window into his backyard.  The blackness of night only added to his depressed state. Sighing again he went to frig, pulled out a beer, popped the top and took a long swig. Pulling the bottle away from his lips he resigned himself to the fact that he was going to spend the rest of the night getting drunk.

Somewhere around his third beer there was a soft rap at the door. "Seems to be the theme of the night" he thought to himself as he went to open the door. Pulling back the door he was shocked to see Sam standing on his doorstep.

"Carter, what happened to Pete?"

"Sent him home"

There was a long pause as they just stared into each other's eyes as if waiting for the other make a move. Finally Jack did. Moving swiftly he grabbed the back of her head, pulling her to him where he kissed her with all his might. 

Stumbling into the house Sam wrapped her arms around his neck and pressing her body close to his. She moaned in protest when his mouth left hers, only to moan again when she felt his warm lips latch onto her neck.

"Bedroom?" she asked in a husky voice

Pulling his mouth away from her neck to look her in the eye "you sure?" he asked still trying to get his breathing under control which was proving hard considering what she had just asked him

"Yes" she whispered before kissing him softly

Picking her up without breaking the contact of their lips Jack carried her down the hall to his bedroom. 

~~~

Hours later they lay sated snuggled under the sheets of his bed. Sam lay with her head on his chest, aimlessly tracing patterns on his chest while did the same to her back. The first time had been frazzled and quick, a fast release of seven years of pent up sexual frustration. The times after that had been slow, sensual explorations of each other's bodies.

"That was…"

"Wow"

"Better than wow" he replied pulling her close and breathing in her sexy scent

"So what happens now?"

"Well we sleep because I don't know about you but this blonde I know totally wore this old man out"

"You're not old. But seriously what do we do, we broke the regs"

"I'll retire. I'm almost there anyway"

"You'd hate it within a day and I would never ask you to do that"

"We keep it a secret"

"I can't do that Jack. We keep too many secrets as it is and this one doesn't just affect us, it affects Daniel and Teal'c also"

"Alright, then we go talk to Hammond together. If we can't work anything out then I will retire because I am not letting you go now that I have you"

Placing her chin on his chest Sam saw nothing but unconditional love shining in his deep brown eyes. "I love you"

"I love you too, never forget that" he replied kissing her on the top of her head "Now sleep"

"Yes sir" she replied before letting her eyes drift shut 

"Witch" he muttered before sleep claimed him as well

When he next woke he noticed he was alone in the bed. Panicking, he shot up in bed scanning the room for her. Scared she may have changed her mind and left he searched the floor for his boxers, pulling them on he raced out of his room towards the kitchen. 

His fears were soon squashed when he found her sitting at his kitchen table in nothing but his shirt, drinking coffee and reading the newspaper. She looked so natural sitting in his kitchen, it was as if she had always been there. 

"Hope you didn't go outside like that?"

She looked up and graced him with one of her mega watt smiles that seemed to be reserved solely for him "Hey, I thought you'd never wake up. And no I didn't go out in just this" she said indicating the shirt "I put my coat on first" she finished matter of factly as he joined her at the table "You thought I left?"

 "No"

"Jack"

"Ok, so maybe I got a little nervous"

"A little nervous?"

"So I freaked for a second, you happy now?"

"Yes" she replied before going back to reading the paper. 

"So what happened with Pete?" 

"I told him the truth; I cared about him but I wasn't in love with him. Actually he figured it out before I had the chance to tell him" To be honest she was surprised Pete was so calm about it.  He told her that somehow he just knew that they would never be together but he was thankful that she chose him to spend her time with until she realized what she wanted. True, he wanted it to be him but as long as she was happy that was all that mattered. 

"Huh?"

"He knew I was talking about you. Said he hoped I would be happy and not waste my chance at happiness, so I didn't"

"Boy am I glad you didn't" he kissed her passionately. Their kisses became more heated and intense. One of his hands snaked under the shirt she stole from him and he was pleasantly rewarded with a moan that emanated from deep in her throat. He was just about to pick her up and take her back to his bedroom when the phone rang. Groaning in frustration he broke the kiss and yanked the phone off its cradle "Hello?"

"Jack, its Daniel"

"Yes, Daniel"

"Jack, do you know where Sam is? I've been calling her all morning and haven't been able to get her. I'm a little worried"

"I'm sure she's fine Daniel" he said giving her a little smirk

"How do you know?"

"I just know"

Seeing that Daniel was not going to let up on Jack, Sam grabbed the phone out of his hand before he had the chance to protest "Hello Daniel"

"Uh…Hi Sam"

"You were looking for me?" she replied nonchalantly as Jack began nibbling on her neck

"Yeah, um SG-16 brought back this artifact and I think it may be related to the Ancients"

"Really. Why?"

"Well that is why I need you. The writing on the outside is in Ancient but I can't seem to get it open. Plus Siler says it is emitting low levels of energy"

"We'll be right there. Oh and Daniel"

"Yeah Sam?"

"Not a word to anyone."

He knew exactly what she was talking about but decided to tease her anyway "Not even Teal'c?"

"Daniel" she warned

"Ok Sam see ya soon"

"Bye" she replied before hanging up the phone and giving it back to Jack

"Well that was subtle" 

"I told you I don't want to keep secrets from them" she said before giving him a quick kiss "Now get ready we need to go to the base"

"Yes ma'am" he gave her a mock salute. She merely stuck her tongue out at him before racing down the hall to his bedroom

They decided it would be best to go talk to the general straight out. Sam was adamant that she didn't want any secrets and this would be a doozey to keep. Jack reluctantly agreed but was adamant that if it came down to it and one of them needed to leave it would be him. The rest of the ride to the base was made in silence.

TBC…


	8. chapter 8

**Part 8**

~~~

After changing into their BDU's the two made the anxiety filled trip to the General Hammond's office. 

Knocking on the door, Jack waited for permission to enter before sticking his head into the office "General, you got a minute?"

 "Of course" He was surprised when both Jack and Sam entered his office both looking nervous "What I can do for you?" Although he had a pretty good idea as to why they would approach him together looking nervous 

"General we'd like to inform that our relationship has gone beyond that of CO and second in command"

"I see, when did this happen?"

"Last night sir"

"General if it comes down to it I'll retire, because Carter's career is more important than mine and we wanted to come to you first instead of sneaking around because that would look a hell of a lot worse" He was rambling and he knew he was rambling but he just couldn't seem to shut himself up

"Jack shut up"

"Yes sir, sorry sir"

"I'd be lying if I said I didn't see this day coming. To be honest I thought it would have come a hell of a lot sooner than it has"

"Sir?" they said at the same time

"I'm not blind nor I am completely heartless"

"General?" Jack asked slightly confused

"As long as the two of you keep it professional while on duty and off world I see no reason why you can't be in a relationship"

"Sir what about the regulations?" Sam asked 

"You don't have to worry about being brought up on charges Major as long as the two of keep it private"

"Thank you sir" Jack replied hardly able to keep his enthusiasm at bay. He couldn't help the small smile that had managed to creep onto his face

"Your very welcome and congratulations. Now Dr. Jackson is looking for you, Major"

"Yes sir" Sam replied before she and Jack left his office

When they got outside they let out a collective sigh.

"Wow did that just happen?"

"Apparently"

They stayed in the general state of shock through most of their trip to Daniel's office. When they entered Daniel immediately picked up on their odd behavior couple that with the fact that Sam was at Jack's house when he called his curiosity got the better of him

"Jack is everything ok?"

"Daniel everything is great"

"Ok, why?"

"Because I just got permission to be with the woman I love" he was grinning like an idiot but he didn't care. He wanted the whole world to know just how much he loved Samantha Carter

"Congratulations O'Neill, Major Carter. I am sure that you will be very happy together"

"Thank you Teal'c"

"Yeah its about time"

"Why thank you Daniel" he replied before Daniel, in Jack's opinion, went into a long boring explanation about the object SG-16 brought back.

After examining the artifact for several hours, Sam was able to find the right radio frequency to get the object to open. Once opened Daniel stayed up for two days straight translating the writing. The entire base was on the edge of their seats waiting for the archeologist to tell them if the object could lead them to the lost city.

Unfortunately, the object wasn't a map to the lost city. After spending two days translating, Daniel figured out that the object was nothing more than a type of children's book. The book was sort of a history book that explained the history of the Ancients before they were wiped out by a plague. Everyone, excluding Daniel, was gravely disappointed with the find.

~~~

**Month and half later**

****

Missions had been relatively boring and safe, much to Jack's liking. He wouldn't know what he would do if he lost Sam, especially now that got to have her. They would often sneak kisses here and there but decided not to go any further than that. Occasionally they would hold hands when the team was on long a safe planet but more often then not they simply walked side by side.

After the general had given his permission to be together Sam had practically moved into Jack's house. She was surprised at how affectionate Jack could be. He would often surprise her with dinner or draw a bath and pamper her when they got back from a long mission. They fought from time to time but always made up quickly, sometimes not even making it to the bedroom.

As of late Sam hadn't been feeling and Jack was starting to get a little nervous. He assumed it was the anxiety having to do with the fact that they were heading back to P3X-771 later in the day. 

"Sam are you ok?" he asked through the door to the bathroom of her quarters. After a moment the door opened and Sam stepped out

"Yeah"

Sam had her own suspicions as to why she wasn't feeling well but wasn't about to jump to conclusions considering her time as host to Jolinar may have ruined her chance at having children at all. Also she wasn't sure how Jack would react or even if he wanted anymore children. She was definitely going to have to take the test she had purchased the say before when they returned from P3X-771.

"You don't have to go if you don't want to. I could tell Hammond you aren't feeling well"

"No, I'll be fine"

"You sure?"

"Yes. Now lets go before everyone starts wondering where we are" she gave him a quick kiss before moving past him and out of the room.

The ride through the gate did nothing to quell the uneasiness Sam felt in her stomach. It churned further when she descended the steps and saw Chancellor Nolanti waiting to greet them. _Here we go_ she thought to herself as he approached them.

"Welcome back." He had said it to all of them but Sam had the feeling he had only meant it for her.

"Chancellor Nolanti" she replied trying to convey that her presence was for business only and nothing else. She didn't think he got the hint though.

"Come, a celebration has been planned for after we sign the treaty between our two worlds"

The signing was relatively boring, as were all treaty signings. But Jack had to admit that the Triffani knew how to throw a party. Good food and drink always made Jack a happy camper. Although he would have been enjoying himself more if Nolanti wasn't hoarding Sam's attention. He hadn't left her alone since they exited the gate, it was beginning to really annoy him. 

Sam on the other hand, tried several times to make her way towards Jack but Nolanti just kept talking. Smiling politely at his jokes and stories, Sam prayed for a moment to escape but none came. Looking across the room she managed to catch Jack's eye and sent him a look that screamed 'help me.'

Seeing Sam's pleading look, Jack swiftly moved towards her being sure to give her a long kiss before greeting the Chancellor. Both shocked and embarrassed, Nolanti apologized and made a quick and hasty exit. 

"That was mean" she said trying hard to contain her giggles

"But necessary" he replied wrapping his arm around her and leading her back to the table he and the rest of SG-1 were sitting at.

"Whatever" she muttered

"Is that insubordination Major?"

"Not at all sir"

The rest of the night was spent laughing and enjoying the local food, which was surprisingly good. Sam couldn't help but laugh at the look on Nolanti's face whenever they caught him looking over at them. The evening was a nice break from the usual stuffy rules of the military. 

The team set out for the gate early the next morning. The walk back to gate was made in relative silence except for the usual jibes between Jack and Daniel, Sam spent most of that time thinking about her little situation. She was definitely going to have to take that test as soon as they got back.

Nolanti apologized to them once again for his behavior when they reached the gate. Both of them merely smiled before following Daniel and Teal'c through the open wormhole.

~~~

TBC…One more chapter to go!!


	9. chapter 9The End

**Part 9**

**~~~**

Unlocking the door to Jack's house, Sam took a deep breathe and contemplated her situation. After speaking with Dr. Paulson about her recent illness the doctor took blood and agreed that taking the home test she purchased was a good idea. So she did and it came back positive. She had sought out Jack but Daniel said he went home early. Confused as to why he would leave early, Sam changed and left the base. Her entire ride home was spent thinking about how Jack would react to the news and the little life growing inside her. 

As soon as she entered the house she was overtaken by the soft glow of candlelight and music perforating the living room. The dining room table was set for two and adorned with Jack's grandmother's china she had left him when she died. Sure Jack had prepared dinner for her at times but he never pulled out his grandmother's fine china. Feeling a presence behind her she quickly spun around

"What do you think?"

"Is this why you left early?"

"Yep"

"But why?"

"Special occasions call for special things" he replied fingering the small velvet box in his right hand pocket. 

"What special occasion?" she was beginning to wonder if he had found out about the baby

Taking a deep breathe Jack slowly began to kneel down on one knee and pull the box out of his pocket

"Oh my God"

"Sam, I love you more than I ever thought possible. Would you make me the happiest man alive by marrying me?" 

Every part of Sam screamed for her to say yes and she wanted to but she had to know if he was asking because he wanted to marry her or if it was because of the baby. After all he was married before so he had to have some idea about the warning signs. She didn't want him to ask her because he felt he had to do the right thing nor would she expect him to do such a thing.

"I'm pregnant" Seeing the shock all over his face, Sam quickly realized her mistake. He wasn't asking her out of obligation, he was asking her because he wanted to. "Jack?" she said softly

"We're gonna have a baby?" His shock quickly turned to joy at the thought of having a baby with Sam. The image of a brown haired blue eyed child with his attitude and her brains popped into his head.

"Yeah" 

Then it dawned on him. She thought he was asking her to marrying him out of obligation to the baby. Standing up he took her hands in his own and looked her right in the eye "Sam I love you and want to marry you. The baby is just an added bonus"

"Really?"

"Hell yes. Do you know how long I have been planning this?" she shook her head "A long time. Heck, Daniel's been driving me up a wall to finally ask you. So what do you say? Will you marry me?"

"Yes" she said with tears in her eyes.

Smiling, Jack placed the ring on her finger and kissed her passionately

~~~

Sam and Jack were married in a small ceremony two months later. Jack nearly fainted when he saw Jacob walk Sam down the aisle. . Jack was sure Jacob was going to castrate him for touching his daughter but the ex-general simply laughed and said it was about time the two got their act together. Although he was a little surprised when they told him Sam was pregnant but he was happy to know he was going to be a grandfather again.

Seven and a half months later Sam gave birth to a baby girl whom they name Ashley. Shortly after her birth, Sam resigned her commission and was immediately rehired as a civilian scientist at the SGC. Jack had offered to retire and stay home with the baby but Sam refused, saying that she lost her mother at such a young age and she didn't want that to happen to Ashley. Several months after that General Hammond retired leaving the newly promoted General O'Neill in charge of the SGC. They had their ups and downs but they stuck together throughout it all. And they were happy.

**The End**

Thanks for reading. Hope you all enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Don't forget to send feedback!


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